


What Have You Done?

by Faranzi



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Gen, also this is ace!Helga, and how everything went wrong, because i love the idea of ace!Helga :), but I also want to explore their general dynamics, i'm also interested in Helena Ravenclaw, this is a general founders fic with lots of Helgazar feels, we'll see
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-18
Updated: 2016-04-02
Packaged: 2018-05-14 20:37:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5757916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Faranzi/pseuds/Faranzi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"This is it?", Helga asked excitedly. "This is the place you saw in your dream?"<br/>They were standing by an immense lake overlooking vast, wide, green grounds. In the distance the outskirts of a forest could be seen.<br/>"Yes." Rowena's voice had a determined edge to it. "This is the place my vision showed me."<br/>"Then this is where we will build our school!", Godric declared, roaring like the lion that was his family's sigil.<br/>"There is only one problem.", Salazar remarked in his cool rational way. "There is nothing here. We are in the middle of nowhere. We don't even have a building yet."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Please enjoy my very first fanfic ever! :D I have a lot of Helgazar and general Founders feels and I'm trying to work through them with this! This is going to have multiple chapters but I can already tell you that I am not going to update this regularly because I am a terrible person >_>

"This is it?" Helga asked excitedly. "This is the place you saw in your dream?"  
  
They were standing by an immense lake overlooking vast, wide, green grounds. In the distance the outskirts of a forest could be seen.  
  
"Yes." Rowena's voice had a determined edge to it. "This is the place my vision showed me."  
  
"Then this is where we will build our school!" Godric declared, roaring like the lion that was his family's sigil.  
  
"There is only one problem," Salazar remarked in his cool rational way. "There is nothing here. We are in the middle of nowhere. We don't even have a building yet."  
  
"Salazar, my friend." Godric put a hand on the other man's shoulder and beamed at him.  
"We four are the most talented wizards and witches of these fair isles and we're going to found the greatest school of witchcraft and wizardry to ever exist. Do you really think a lacking building is going to stop us?"  
  
"Godric is right." Helga had been looking around the grounds, trying to imagine what buildings they could erect. Now she faced her three companions. "We can do this. Together."  
  
Rowena nodded. "Yes. It shouldn't pose a great problem, as long as we work together."  
  
"I suppose that is true..," Salazar reluctantly conceded.  
  
"The greatest school for young witches and wizards in the world," Godric said with a keen gleam in his eyes, "and its name shall be.."  
  
"Wait!" Helga lifted a finger to make him stop. "Rowena should name it. She's the one who found this place. And she already has a name." She looked at the other witch, smiling. "Don't you, Rowena?"  
  
"Oh I don't know, Helga." Rowena seemed uncomfortable. "It just.. it feels so.. undignified. And it was only a first idea, anyway.."  
  
"Nonsense. It's a wonderful name!", Helga exclaimed. "With things like that, you always have to follow your intuition!"  
  
Godric joined into her encouragement: "Come on, Rowena, now I'm curious!"  
  
Salazar didn't say anything, but he looked at Rowena expectantly and maybe, Helga thought, a little curious, too.  
  
"Oh, well.." Rowena had given in. "The name that came to my mind was.. it was Hogwarts"  
  
For a moment there was only silence. Then Godric burst into laughter.  
  
"Hogwarts?" Salazar asked with a look of distaste on his face. "Is this related to this 'warty hog' nonsense from your dream vision?"  
  
"It is no nonsense, Salazar," Rowena replied, the determined edge back in her voice. "I saw a warty hog that led me to this place. Why not commemorate that in the school's name?"  
  
"Because it is ridiculous," Salazar shot back. "Nobody is going to take us seriously with a name like that!"  
  
"No. No!" Godric had stopped laughing but was still grinning widely. "This is wonderful! The greatest school for witchcraft and wizardry to ever exist – and its name is Hogwarts!"  
  
Helga, who feared that her dear friend might feel ridiculed, hastily spoke up:  
"I say we put it up for a vote, yes? I vote for Hogwarts." She looked at Rowena, whose fighting spirits seemed to have awakened. "I do, too," she said.  
  
Both witches looked at Godric, who chuckled.  
"Well, it's better than the name I had in mind," he said. "I'm all for it."  
  
Salazar rolled his eyes but he did not protest further. Instead he said: "I suppose it is a name people will not forget."  
  
"Wonderful." Helga beamed at her three companions. "Oh, this is going to be wonderful!" Overcome with joy she kissed both Rowena and Godric on the cheek but stopped herself short from doing the same with Salazar, who did not like such affections. His eyes met hers with a hard to define look which startled her momentarily, but then she smiled at him.  
"Cheer up, Salazar. There is still a lot of work to be done."


	2. Chapter 2

It all started one cold and rainy night on the Ravenclaw estate. Helga Hufflepuff had known Rowena Ravenclaw since both had been young girls, when Rowena had been travelling throughout the isles with her parents. Both witches had come to like each other almost immediately and had visited each other regularly ever since. For Helga it had been her first incentive to leave the lands of her home.  
  
Almost ten years lay between their first meeting and this cold night. Both girls had grown into women, Rowena tall, dark haired with sharp features and eyes that seemed to take everything in; Helga plump and freckled, with unruly red hair and kind, curious eyes. They were both sitting by the fire, chatting and drinking, when two new visitors were announced.  
  
“Grodric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin?” Helga asked curiously. She had never heard those names until then. “Friends of yours?” She knew that Rowena had met many interesting witches and wizards during her travels.  
  
“Oh, yes,” Rowena said cheerfully. “Godric is a traveller of sorts, like I am. Salazar less so, but he does visit a lot of wizarding families and sometimes accompanies Godric on his travels.” She smiled at her best friend. “You will like them. Godric is a very grand man. He will tell you a tale of one of his adventures and have you all in awe only to end it in some kind of misfortune he brought upon himself by his own recklessness – and I can assure you, he’ll be the one who will laugh the loudest about it. Salazar on the other hand won’t tell you much of anything about himself, but occasionally he’ll make some snarky remark to get you to laugh.”  
  
Helga had seldom seen her friend so excited. When the door opened she leaned forward to get a good look at the people entering. They were both tall, one man broad shouldered, the other lean, one with a rough beard and an unkempt mane of reddish-brown hair, the other with already thinning hair despite his young age, and a clean shaven face. The first man beamed at the two witches, whereas the second seemed more reserved.  
  
“My lady Ravenclaw,” the first man said now with a sweeping bow. “Thank you for receiving us.”  
  
“Please, Godric, since when are you so formal?” Rowena asked amused.  
  
“Thought I might as well give it a try,” Godric Gryffindor replied. His attention briefly shifted to Helga before he addressed his hostess again: “I’m sorry, Rowena. We did not know you had company. We were surprised by the rain near your estate.”  
  
“Don’t worry about that,” Rowena assured him before turning to Helga. “Helga, these are Godry Gryffindor and Salazar Syltherin. Godric, Salazar, this is my dear friend Helga Hufflepuff.”  
  
“Pleased to meet you,” Helga said politely.  
  
Grinning wide, Godric Gryffindor made another sweeping bow. “Lady Hufflepuff, delighted to meet you.” Behind him, Salazar Slytherin inclined his head ever so slightly and said: “Lady Hufflepuff.” His voice was crisp, controlled, but there was a softness to it when he spoke silently like he did now.  
  
“Please,” Helga said hastily, “call me Helga.”  
  
The two men joined them by the fire and sure enough, Godric began to recount his latest adventure shortly thereafter. He found an eager listener in Helga, who was unsure if he was entirely truthful in his account. Even though, she enjoyed it greatly, and Rowena joined into her laughter from time to time. Salazar only smiled and said little. Helga found her gaze drifting towards him every now and then. He was not a handsome man, not with his thinning hair and gaunt face, but that didn’t interest Helga much anyway. No, it was something in his eyes, something in the lines of his face, a brooding and an immense intelligence, it seemed to her. When he looked up and caught her staring at him, she quickly looked away and fought a blush.  
  
“So, Helga,” Godric said after he had finished his tale. “Are you a traveller, too, like Rowena?”  
  
She chuckled. “Oh, no, no! I am sure such a life is very interesting, but I am too much of a domestic person, myself.”  
  
“Really?” Salazar asked. It gave her an excuse to look at him again. She smiled politely.  
  
“Why, yes. I am most happy in my garden, tending to my plants, or in front of my cauldron, trying out a new potion – or dinner.”  
  
“Hopefully you’re not using the same cauldron for both,” Salazar remarked.  
  
Helga blinked, unsure how to respond. Was he jesting? Before she could decide on an adequate response, Rowena spoke up: “Actually, Helga has quote the talent for mixing food and magic, isn’t that right, Helga?”  
  
“Oh, I don’t know if you can call it a talent,” Helga answered modestly, though she was happy to hear her friend say so. “It’s true, though, I tried my hand at a few food related spells.”  
  
“Food related spells?” Salazar echoed incredulously. “Why ever would you choose to spend your energy on something like that?”  
  
Helga had had a couple of conversation in the past that had gone a similar way, so she knew how to respond: “Yes, food. It is a passion of mine to create new dishes. You know, as far as I am aware, people need to eat. Even us witches and wizards.” That shut him up right away. Godric chuckled and Rowena allowed herself a little smile. Encouraged by their reactions, Helga continued: “I can show you, if you want. You should try my lamb stew some day.”  
  
“Gladly,” Godric replied at once. “If you want to invite us, we will not refuse you. Isn’t that right, Salazar?”  
  
Godric’s question seemed to have woken the other man from some train of thought. His expression was hard to read, but he eventually inclined his head. “Of course.”  
  
“Well then.” Helga smiled. “Consider yourself invited into my home whenever it suits you.”  
  
  
They sat and talked a little longer but eventually they all decided that it was time for sleep.  
  
Upon exiting, Salazar approached Helga. “I am afraid I have insulted you earlier, my lady,” he said in a tone that would have been more appropriate for a funeral. “Please accept my apologies.”  
  
“Nonsense,” Helga replied quickly. “You were simply impulsive. I take no offense from your remarks. Besides, I told you to call me Helga.”  
  
Yet, when they said good night he still wore a most serious expression upon his face.  
  
  
The two men set out again the next day, though not before promising Helga again that they would visit her soon. Helga and Rowena watched them grow smaller and smaller as they left the castle behind them, not yet comprehending the importance of their beginning friendship, or how it would end.


End file.
